Lifejacket servicing

A life jacket is arguably the most important part on any boat.
They are only of use however if they are properly maintained. This guide outlines the process of life jacket servicing and doing a life jacket test to ensure they always work when needed.

Life Jacket Service

A life jacket is arguably the most important part on any boat. They have proven to save lives and there should always be enough for everyone one board to have one. They are only of use however if they are properly maintained. This guide outlines the process of life jacket servicing and doing a lifejacket test to ensure they always work when needed.

Life Jacket Serviceing

•One of the best ways to avoid having to do such drastic servicing is to maintain a good, regular cleaning schedule for your lifejacket(s). This means they will stay in good condition for longer.

•After use, clean them in cool fresh water with a good quality, but fairly mild detergent. After cleaning, rinse them with more cool water and allow them to dry naturally. Using fresh water will get rid of any salt water deposits. (don’t forget to de-activate any auto jackets 1st)

•A life jacket has special coatings on the fabric to keep them waterproof. If you use a too strong detergent or any chemicals during your life jacket service it will break this coating down and decrease the life span of the lifejacket.

•Most life jacket manufacturers will include cleaning instructions with the jacket and these provide a good overview of how to go about cleaning.

•Automatic inflating lifejackets can have the inflating mechanism removed for separate cleaning.

•Carefully inspect the inflating mechanisms. Some cheap CO2 canisters are prone to rusting and this can be avoided by buying good quality canisters.

•It is possible to do a life jacket test by removing the inflating mechanism and blowing the jacket up manually. You will able to check that all zips etc work correctly.

Correct LifeJacket Care

•Never use a life jacket as a pillow or a cushion, they are complex designed pieces of equipment and this may damage them

•After use, hang them up to dry naturally. A lot of the automatic lifejackets use a chemical process to activate the CO2 inflator, putting them away when wet could make this go off.

If you are not confident to carry out these checks yourselves then many life jacket manufacturers will be happy to service and check your jackets for you at a low cost.

If your CO2 canister needs replacing or you need a spare re-arming kit then click here for our range of top quality lifejacket accessories. In need of a new lifejacket? click here to see our range.